Qiu Ying was a native of Taicang, Jiangsu Province. His green-color landscape paintings, such as the Jian Pavilion , are marked by vigorous strokes and bright colors. His figure paintings, meticulously executed, are bright in color, accurate in portrayal, and vivid in expression.

By Qiu Ying

He also mastered the secrets of miniature painting, was familiar with Chinese folklore and had absorbed many skills from folk lantern painting, fan painting and wood block printing . He was also an expert in the reproduction of ancient pictures.

During the reigns of Emperors Longqing, Wanli and Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty (1567-1644), the Wu Painting School flourished. Though the subjects of the Wu School paintings were limited due to the painters' narrow life circles, and though some of their works were repetitive in content, these painters inherited traditional Chinese painting skills to give vivid presentation of the figures they depicted. They were all men of considerable culture and had their respective aesthetic pursuits. Their brushstroke techniques and creative painting methods had a tremendous impact on painters of later times.

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